The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1887-02-04

up the road ter the bars. They looked like
some O them that Kunnel Pennington tuck
way with HIM, but they rid better critters
then any O. them ever he'd, an they were
dressed In sorter soljer cloze, an all o 'em
totcd guns.
Something sent chill ter my very heart
the moment ! laid eyes on 'em. Hit almost
stopped bcatin' when / see Kunnel Bill Pen
nington little ways behind 'em, with fcatl-
er in his hat an sword an pistols In his belt
When they waited at the bars fur him ter
come up, knowed instantly what they were
artcr.
"Fortner.' said ter my son, tryin' ter
speak ez low ez possible, 'Fortner, honey, slip
back through the bushes ez quick cz tho Lord.l
let ye, an tell yer daddy thet Bill Pennington
an his gang dir heah AFTER him. Sneak away,
but when yc air out O. sight, run fur yer life.
honey
"He turned ter 60, but at that minnit Bill
Pennington shouted out: stop thar! Don't
Ill put bullet through his brainn
"Fortner wouldve run in spite O him, but |
wuz SO skcercd fur him tibet jumped ter his
side an ketched his arm.
"'Kccp quiet, honey,'I said. Likely they
won't ilnd yer dadd! at oil.
"Vain hope! Ez l spoke, the sound o
David's AK rung out clearly and STEADILY. The
cannons at Wildcat, yesterday, didn't sound
no louder ter me. could even tell tibet lie
wuy choppn' a beech tree. The licks wns ez
a-sliarp an ringin cz Of the AK struck iron.
bill Pennington lit often his beast, an
walked toward me, with his sword a-clatterin'
an his spurs a. jiaglin.
- hot faA In n n
husband O your'n. Whars Dave Brill y he
said savagely.
"IIit seemed ter me that every stroke from
over the hill said ez plainly ez tongue could
utter words: Iicah am. Come over hcah
tried ter gain time ter think o. something.
"'He started this mOrnin' Oh Roam Molly
fer Mt. Vernon, to tend court said, know
I'M thct didn't dare hesitate ter make up a
story.
"'Kunnel, thet airs a lie, said Jake John
son, who knowcd us. 'Thar's Dave Drill'>
Roam Molly over thar, in the pasture
"'An' this hnin't court day in Mt. Vernon,
neither said another.
80 know your husbands OH the place. |
wuz tole so this mornin said Kunnel Bill.
Hit IL he much better fur ye, eff we tel Inc
whar he is. Hill Mt least save yer houe
from bein' sot nfire.
Ring! ring. went David's AK, ez Of lit
war trumpet, shoutin' ter the whole world:
'Heah l am. Come over heahH
aye kin burn our house eff yer tibet biz, Il
villain said; but l can't tell We no diff
ferent'
"Kunnel thet's him a-choppin' over thar.
said Jake johnson. Il know he's crarcd
some new ground fur terbacker on tibet air
hillside
al believe hit is, said Kunnel Bill, lit
enin minnit. Parker, ye an Haygood GO
over thar an git him, while some O the rest
O. We look bout the stable an fodder STAG.
thar Mind my orders, an see tibet they air
carried out.
"His manner made me fear everything. A
thought flashed inter my mind. Thar WIZ
tibet horn thar'-Harry followed her eyes
with his and saw hanging ON hooks against
the wall one of the long tin horns used in the
south to call the men folks of the farms to
their meals 1t was crushed and battered to
uselessncss-"I thought Id blow hit an at
tract his attention. He mout then see them
a-comin' and git away. / ran inter the house
an snatched the horn down, but arorc
could put hit ter my lips Bill Pennington
jerkcd hit way from me an stamped on hit.
"Dcb Brill said he, with a MORALLY hate
full look, yer peart an sassy an bold, an hev
alters been so, an SOS yer Yankcefed hus-
band Ye've he'd yer own way oifen-too
olfcn Now I'll hev mine an wipe out some
long stanSin' scores. Dave Brill lcz capped
a lifetime O plague an disturbance ter his
bc.tcrs by bccomin' u traitor ter his country
an inducin' others ter be traitors He must
he cuicted Come out an listen
g.. pulled me out inter the yard. Dave
WIZ sill chopin away. Fur nearly every
day fur nigh thirty years the sound O his ak
he'd been music in my ears. l had larned to
know hit, even afore we wuz lovers, fur his
fathers land jined my fathers, an hit seems
ter me tibet could tell the note O. his AK from
tibet O. everybody else, almost ez airly CT
could tell q robins song from a blackbird's
Girl, woman, wife an mother, he'd listened
to hit while l knit, wove or spun, every
stroke n,inslin' with the sounds o my wheel
or loom an tho song O the birds, an telila'
me whar he wuz, an tibet he wuz toilln'
fur mo an mine.
".Sow, fur the fust time in all these years
hits steady, strong beat brought mis'ry ter
my cars. Hit wllz ez the tollin' of bell FUR
some ono not yit dead. My heart o'ny beat
ez fast ez he chopped Hit would give great
Jump when the sound O the blow reached me,
an then stand still until the next one came
"At last came long-O, so long pause
"'They've got thar said Bill Pennington,
cranin' forward his head ter ketch the fust
sound. He's seed EN- an is tryin' ter cit
'wny. But he kin never Go hit. Enow the
men sent ter do the job
1.-TWO rifle shots sounded Almost toSetheI,
an then Immediately arter WIZ couple o
boastful Injun-like yclls.
Thar, Deb, heah tibet. Yer wilder now.
Be thankful tibet let ye off so easy. ought
by rights ter burn yer house an put tibet BOY
O your'n whar he'll do no harm. But this'll
do fur an example ter these mounting trail
tors. They've lost Their leader, an Their hain't
no one ter take his place. They'll know now
tibet we're in dead airnest Boys, go inter the
house an git all the guns thar is thar, an
what vittles an blankets We want; but make
haste. fur we must git away from heah IN
hurry
II run ez fast ez my feet'd carry me to whar
David Law stone dead. Fortner saddled MS
colt an gallopcd off ter his cousin Jim Fort
ner's, ter rouse the home gyard. Inc colC
reached Jim's house, bekase hits NANNY wuz
thar. but nv son never did. In takin' the
shortest road he he'd ter cross the dangerous
est ford on the Rockassel The young beast
wuz skeered nigh ter death, an hits rider "uz
drowned"